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ECG Cases 45 ECG in Weakness and Neurological Symptoms

ECG Cases

Jesse MacLaren guides us through 10 cases of patients who present with generalized weakness or acute neurologic symptoms and discusses how to look for ECG signs of dysrhythmias, electrolyte emergencies, acute coronary occlusion, and demand ischemia in patients with generalized weakness and in patients with neurologic symptoms, to consider predisposing (..)

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Assessment and management of asymptomatic atrial fibrillation

Heart BMJ

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac dysrhythmia encountered in practice. It is currently estimated that AF affects approximately 2% of the general population; however, the true prevalence of AF is likely to be at least 3%–4% when asymptomatic AF is considered.

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A young man with another episode of tachycardia. What is it? And why give adenosine in sinus rhythm?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

The differential of wide complex irregularly irregular includes: polymorphic VT, atrial fibrillation with WPW, atrial fibrillation with other aberrancy. Thus, the patients rhythm is atrial fibrillation with WPW. With that in mind, how would you proceed with treatment?

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Conventional computer ECG algorithm misses another potentially deadly abnormality. How does AI perform?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Especially when present in the setting of bradycardia and syncopal episodes, this is very worrisome for high risk of lethal dysrhythmias including polymorphic ventricular fibrillation (termed Torsades when in the setting of long QT). This ECG shows sinus bradycardia with massively long QT (or QU?) interval, at over 600 msec.

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Atrial fibrillation? Multifocal Atrial Tachycardia? Don't look at computer read until AFTER you interpret!

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Here is the computer interpretation: ATRIAL FIBRILLATION WITH RAPID VENTRICULAR RESPONSE WITH ABERRANT CONDUCTION OR VENTRICULAR PREMATURE COMPLEXES LEFT AXIS DEVIATION [QRS AXIS beyone -30] NONSPECIFIC ST and T-WAVE ABNORMALITY The over-reading physician confirmed this diagnosis, which is incorrect. It is not atrial fibrillation.

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Wide complex tachycardia, resistant to cardioversion. Some fascinating features here.

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Regular means it can't be atrial fibrillation --Most regular wide complex tachcardia are VT, especially if the patient has poor LV function, as in this case. Relative contraindications to both include a known prolonged QT, especially if the dysrhythmia is believed to be caused by prolonged QT. What do you think?

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WHAT EXACTLY IS AN ARRHYTHMIA?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta

In that sense, the term dysrhythmia is preferable because it does literally translate as a disturbance in normal rhythm which is exactly what it is meant to describe. Any unsolicited disturbance of the rate or rhythm can be termed a dysrhythmia and result in the heart beating less efficiently but only for the duration of the dysrhythmia.